You know you’re about to have an interesting interview when the first thing your interviewee says is, “I can’t tell you too much without giving away all the surprises.” Such was the beginning of my conversation with Clayton Theatre Company’s Managing Director Roxanne Pardee, who directs the upcoming campy disaster-movie spoof appropriately titled “Disaster!”
The homage to 1970s disaster movies runs Friday through Oct. 25 at Endeavor Hall on 6008 Center St. in Clayton.
If you’ve ever been to Endeavor Hall, you know how small the stage is, and I couldn’t help but wonder how Pardee and her crew could create a floating casino that succumbs to an earthquake, a fire, a tidal wave and more.
While Pardee wouldn’t say much, she did mention that sound effects and other special effects will be used to create the chaos needed.
“I don’t want to wreck the surprise for the audience,” Pardee said. “But we’re doing as much as can possibly be done in our little space.”
The large cast of 16 already challenges the small area with its limited backstage. According to Pardee, pop-up tents outside the backdoor will provide dressing room space for the actors.
“We have seven actors new to our company plus a youth which we haven’t had in one of our productions for quite some time,” said Pardee.
While “Disaster!” has lots of technical challenges, its music and quirky sense of humor appealed to Pardee and Artistic Director La Tonya Watts, who is choreographing the show.
“I really like the music. It’s a jukebox musical based on existing 1970’s music,” Pardee said. “With all the political stuff going on right now, we just wanted to do something fun and silly.”
To see “Disaster!” unfold, go to claytontheatrecompany.com/shows.
Daron Jennings (King Henry II) and Katina Psihos (Eleanor of Aquitaine) rehearse a scene from “The Lion in Winter,” running Oct. 22 through Nov. 22 at Alameda’s Altarena Playhouse. (Photo courtesy of Grizzly De Haro)
Alameda: Few historical figures have been more fascinating than the combatant Plantagenet family with the beautiful and wealthy Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and her husband King Henry II.
Playwright James Goldman penned a comedic yet dramatic tale of the inner conflicts of the controversial royal family in “The Lion in Winter,” presented by Alameda’s Altarena Playhouse Oct. 23 through Nov. 22.
The action takes place during Christmas 1183, and Eleanor has been imprisoned by her husband since raising an army against him. King Henry lets her out only for holidays, and as Christmas approaches King Henry gathers his estranged wife and their three surviving sons – Richard the Lionheart, Geoffrey and John – to decide the succession of the English throne.
Lots of conflict and comedic situations ensue as young King Philip of France and his half-sister Alais (who is betrothed to Richard and is Henry’s mistress) attend the holiday gathering. Talk about complicated family dynamics!
Angela Mason directs a cast of Daron Jennings (Henry II), Katina Psihos (Eleanor), Sydney Harmon (Alais), Dominic Antonich (John), Julian Dion (Geoffrey), Colin Epstein (Richard) and Ryan Chu (King Philip).
For tickets, call 510-523-1553 or go to altarena.org.
Berkeley: Shotgun Players love to stretch their creativity with new works and new ways of presenting older works. Their latest, “The Fall Show,” is a unique example of their ingenuity.
“The Fall Show” deals with two older people (Reginald Wilkins and Beth Wilmurt) who fall in love late in life, discovering love doesn’t necessarily become easier with age. Not a traditional play, “The Fall Show” blends a mix of dialogue, song and often wild movement into a surreal landscape reminiscent of a crazy dream.
To create this distinctive portrait of love, Director Erika Chong Shuch went to American playwright Charles Mee’s works. Mee allows his plays to be licensed by anyone and permits artists to produce his work in any way imaginable.
Shuch and Dramaturg Sarah Rose Leonard took stage directions from “First Love” and several other of Mee’s plays. They also connected with elders in the Bay Area to find out about their experiences with love, and what it’s like to lose touch with old friends and enter new phases of life.
The result is “The Fall Show,” a poetic foray into love with a wild, multi-talented ensemble (Atosa Babaoff, Marit Brook-Kothlow, Vivian Huang, Louel Señores, Apollo Javier Sohrabi and Chris Steele) driving the action.
Huang adds beautiful classical piano tunes to the piece with Wilmurt breaking out her ukelele and everyone contributing well-done vocals to the mix.
The problem lies in the writing which seems pedantic and cliched at times. Wilmurt and Wilkins, however, manage to create lovely, poignant moments of connection despite voicing the often-banal dialog.
Extended until Nov. 1, tickets to “The Fall Show” at 1901 Ashby Ave. in Berkeley can be had by calling 510-841-6500 ext. 303 or going to shotgunplayers.org/show/fall.
Walnut Creek: After seven years as a nonprofit improvisational theater, Synergy Theater is ceasing operations Oct. 28. Classes will continue through that date, as will the Diablo Improv Festival this weekend at the Lesher Center.
For more information, go to synergytheater.com/performances.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.